How Asia Took Over the Global Math Rankings (2003-2025)
The best countries at math have shifted since 2003, with Asian economies now occupying all seven top spots in PISA.
How the Global Math Leaderboard Has Changed
Key Takeaways
In 2003, just three of the seven highest-scoring economies in PISA mathematics were in Asia. By 2025, all seven were Asian economies.
Several former leaders, including Finland, the Netherlands, and Canada, have fallen substantially from their 2003 positions.
The United States remains well outside the group of top-performing economies in mathematics.
The global landscape for math achievement has shifted significantly over the past two decades.
This visualization compares Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) mathematics scores for 15-year-olds in 2003 and 2025. PISA measures how well 15-year-old students can apply their knowledge and skills to real-world problems.
The Top Scorers in Math in 2003
In 2003, the highest-performing education systems included a mix of European, Asia-Pacific, and North American economies.
Country / Economy2003 PISA ScoreRegion
Hong Kong 550Asia
Finland544Europe
South Korea542Asia
Netherlands538Europe
Liechtenstein536Europe
Japan534Asia
Canada532North America
Belgium529Europe
Macao 527Asia
Switzerland527Europe
Australia524Oceania
New Zealand523Oceania
Czechia516Europe
Iceland515Europe
Denmark514Europe
France511Europe
Sweden509Europe
Austria506Europe
Germany503Europe
Ireland503Europe
Slovakia498Europe
Norway495Europe
Luxembourg493Europe
Hungary490Europe
Poland490Europe
Spain485Europe
Latvia483Europe
United States483North America
Russia468Europe
Italy466Europe
Hong Kong led the participating economies in mathematics with an average score of 550, followed by Finland at 544 and South Korea at 542. The Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Japan, and Canada completed the top seven.
How the Ranking Shifted by 2025
By 2025, every economy in the top seven was located in Asia.
Country / Economy2025 PISA ScoreRegion
China612Asia
Singapore563Asia
Macao549Asia
Taiwan546Asia
Japan525Asia
South Korea522Asia
Hong Kong522Asia
Estonia508Europe
Switzerland499Europe
UK488Europe
Canada485North America
Poland484Europe
Netherlands483Europe
New Zealand480Oceania
Ireland480Europe
Belgium480Europe
Australia478Oceania
Austria477Europe
Czechia477Europe
Denmark471Europe
Lithuania470Europe
Finland469Europe
Slovakia469Europe
Italy468Europe
Germany464Europe
Sweden464Europe
United States463North America
Türkiye462Asia
Slovenia460Europe
Portugal460Europe
China, representing Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, recorded the highest mathematics score at 612, while Singapore followed at 563. Across OECD countries as a whole, the average mathematics score stood at 463 in 2025.
Former Leaders Lose Ground
Several countries that ranked near the top in 2003 have moved down considerably.
Finland, which scored 544 in mathematics in 2003, recorded 469 in 2025.
Canada’s score fell from 532 to 485, while the Netherlands declined from 538 to 483.
The United States remains well outside the group of top-performing economies in mathematics. While American students perform more strongly in reading and science, math has historically been a weaker area in PISA assessments.
Math Scores Are Falling More Broadly
OECD data shows that the broader decline is continuing: average mathematics performance across 35 OECD countries fell another nine points between 2022 and 2025.
On a longer timeline, average mathematics scores fell by 22 points between 2015 and 2025, which the OECD estimates is equivalent to just over one year of learning.
PISA also found an association between heavy digital leisure use and student outcomes. Students spending more than four hours a day on digital leisure activities outside school tended to have lower mathematics scores and a weaker sense of belonging.
By contrast, moderate digital use was associated with better outcomes on both measures than either no use or very high use.
China’s Result Comes With an Important Caveat
China’s 2025 result does not represent the entire mainland Chinese student population.
The reported score covers Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. These jurisdictions recorded an average mathematics score of 612, the highest in PISA 2025.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Countries by Education Spending as % of GDP on Voronoi.
Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-asia-took-over-global-math-rankings-2003-2025/
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